Letter to the Herald

I'm thinking of writing a little piece and sending it off to the newspaper. A view of the current economical climate from the view of someone wading in its murky depths. This is a first draft, I'm just putting it here because I don't think my computer can take many more saved versions of my numerous unfinished projects (and to show the world that I have been doing something today...obviously).

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There is scarcely a news article or bulletin these days without the word 'recession' in it, followed by a detailed analysis of how it is affecting Britain's economy, workforce, and more pointedly the increasing numbers of unemployed people found queueing at the job centre every day. A more specific demographic in the latter group taking the spotlight recently are the 18-25 year-olds, of which I am a member. There is much speculation, it seems, surrounding the attitudes and outlook of this 'generation crunch' and whether youthful hopefullness is being replaced by world-weary pessimism. As a member of the class of 2009, I would like to voice my opinion on the matter, feeling that I am better qualified than a journalist with a healthy salary, a semi-detached house in a West London suburb and a holiday home in Cornwall.

Less than a year ago it seemed becoming a member of this new 'lost generation' (this specific terminology entirely debatable) was a positive thing, allowing the graduates of 2009 to pursue illustrious pursuits in creativity rather than be, 'lured by fat pay packets into ghastly careers' as Mr Giles Coren of The Times wrote back in February. At the time reading this was fantastic. I can be an artist, a writer, a bohemian, I thought, All I need is a bottle or two of wine, a laptop and some time. I'll be part of the next Brit Pack, and before I know it I'll be an opinionated luvvy on Newsnight Review making scathing remarks about the state of British culture.

The inevitable wake-up call came as soon as I visited the essay submission desk for the final time. Suddenly, once the cotton wool of education that I was so tightly wrapped in began to unravel, the realisation that I had an empty bank account, an unbelievable amount of student debt and nowhere to live for the summer hit me, and a good degree was not going to solve my problems. Mr Coren's article became meaningless in the cold harsh light of unemployment. The endless free time I have to be creative is taken up by the constant awareness that I owe the government an incredible amount of money for my education and continue to take more while I look for a job in order to support myself.

The class of 2009 is not a hoarde of hedonistic freeloaders taking their time to 'find themselves' or pursue doomed creative projects until the world of employment finally and inevitably catches up with them. That is a luxury we literally cannot afford. The reality of the situation we are in is hard, alienating and really lonely. There is a kind of freedom provided with a salary ...

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I'm not quite sure how it's going to end yet, will come back to it tomorrow.